ne of the more striking images from Pantaleão Fernandes’s new photo

book Goa: Rare Portraits is that of an old woman sitting on the floor. She
is weaving a shendri, or a mat, out of palm leaves, a skill possessed by
many among Goa’s indigenous communities. Another is a close-up of a
woman from the Dhangar, or shepherd community of the state. Her beaded
necklaces, nose ring and earrings, typically worn by the women, stand out
vividly.

Goa: Rare Portraits, a collection of 80-odd photographs that Fernandes

took over the years, provides a rare glimpse into the rural and tribal culture
of Goa through its native communities residing in its forests. “Right from
my childhood, I have seen these people working in paddy fields and
farms,” said Fernandes. “As I was growing up, these people started
diminishing from my surroundings. But then I encountered them again
when I was working on my first book on parish churches of Goa. For me
that was the connect – the memories from my childhood.”